UK workers waste an hour a day on Facebook, research finds

British workers spend up to an hour a day looking at social networking
websites such as Facebook and MySpace or posting to blogs, a study has found.

Facebook: research has found that UK workers waste an hour a day on the social networking sitePhoto: GETTY

By Claudine Beaumont

5:29PM GMT 26 Nov 2008

At least 85 per cent of UK workers waste up to half an hour every day on blogging websites, and 81 per cent spend a similar period of time surfing social-networking sites, say communication consultants Mitel.

A large number of employees also use the internet while they're at work to carry out personal activities, such as banking and shopping. Only two-thirds of those surveyed said they used the internet at work purely for professional purposes, while 87 per cent admitted using it for personal research and 70 per cent for entertainment.

"The lines between work and play are becoming more blurred," said Graham Bevington, managing director of Mitel. "While this might suit our culture and society today, companies still need to be vigilant that their employees are communicating as efficiently as possible and that they maintain a healthy work-life balance."

The research also explored whether British workers felt they were properly equipped to do their jobs, with 97 per cent of the 1,000 people questioned saying that they did not feel they had the communications tools needed to carry out their role.

And more than three-quarters of the workers questioned say they would prefer to have a flexible job with flexible hours rather than more pay. Over 50 per cent of those surveyed also said they felt they worked more effectively when they weren't shackled to their desks, and could work remotely from home or another location.

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It has been estimated that 233 million working hours are lost every month as a result of employees using social networking sites such as Facebook in the office. Concerns about the impact of social networking on office efficiency has even prompted several organisations, including Kent County Council, to ban their employees from accessing the sites.